AfterShock announces a new campaign for a new year: “The Year of Reading Dangerously”

by Jarrod Jones. Some people nurse colossal hangovers following New Year’s celebrations. Others begin another work week in earnest. AfterShock Comics, that bastion of frightfully good comics, has decided to pound a pint of Pedialyte and face the new year with a new credo.

Of course, there’s nothing more dangerous than futzing with the Bard’s storied tomes, and AfterShock, in their new laissez-faire approach to safety, has decided to upend A Midsummer Night’s Dream this February with Ryan Parrott & Milos Slavkovic’s Oberon. Oh, and lest we forget another comics project AfterShock has in store that’ll totally get the cops called on you, there’s Phil Hester & Ryan Kelly’s Stronghold, which also drops in February.

As a certain be-masked duck used to say: Let’s get dangerous.

Image: AfterShock Comics

From AfterShock Comics: AfterShock Comics, the industry’s fastest growing independent publishing company, is prompting both new and established comics audiences to “Read Dangerously,” claiming 2019 as The Year of Reading Dangerously. Supported by a robust advertising and marketing campaign, this call to action will serve as the rallying cry behind all AfterShock brand activities and initiatives over the course of the year.

As publisher of many of the most talked about independent titles of the past few years – including ANIMOSITY, A WALK THROUGH HELL, DARK ARK and BABYTEETH, AfterShock will push the envelope even further in 2019 with new releases and ongoing series that continue to thrill, chill and challenge – both imaginations and sensibilities.

Working with top writers, artists and some of the brightest new stars in the creative community, soon-to-debut 2019 titles STRONGHOLD, OBERON, DARK RED, OUT OF THE BLUE and HORDE, to name only a few, will cut across all genres to take readers far beyond their comfort zones.

“AfterShock was created to push new boundaries by giving the comic world’s most creative writers and artists free reign to blow readers’ minds,” said AfterShock’s Publisher and CCO Joe Pruett. “As a result, we’ve published some of the industry’s edgiest and most compelling content since our launch in 2015 and inked deals over the past year to bring a few of our flagship titles to the big screen with major studio partners. With groundbreaking new titles set for debut this year, there has never been a better time than right now to discover all that AfterShock has to offer.”

“’Read Dangerously’ emphasizes the caliber of our content,” said Steve Rotterdam, SVP of Sales and Marketing. “It’s an open invitation to readers looking to break away from the more conventional choices available to them and can also be embraced by retailers in their efforts to reach out and connect to new audiences. And we’re prepared to help them do that.”

The theme will serve as the focal point of the brand’s 2019 marketing campaign, including new ads debuting in late January on the back covers of all titles, targeted digital advertising, podcast sponsorships, local comic shop initiatives, and prominent placement at major conventions throughout the year. Additional plans will be revealed at the ComicsPRO Annual Meeting to be held in Charlotte in late February.